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Question 9

Q: I received material from some evangelists, and I have grown in my walk with God by what they teach.

But they also teach that we can be healthy and that we just have to take authority over sickness and disease. Also, they say that if we confess that we’re wealthy, we’ll get money.

I’ve tried doing both of these things for a few months but after all this, my medical tests show that I have problems with my liver and I’ve not received any extra money; in fact, my money from the commissary now comes in late. So why doesn’t it work for me?

Asked by: Kevin, Texas


A: Well, Kevin, you’re not the only person for whom it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work for millions of others either.

Unfortunately, prosperity teachers are misleading millions of well meaning, but often gullible, people. We can’t simply say to our wallets, “Be full of money” and they will be. Look at Jesus, He had nowhere to lay His head.

Beware of those who always talk how you can be rich and then they still want you to send them your money! If they know how to become rich, let them trust God for money for their own ministries without asking people to send in their money.

Poverty is not considered to be a curse as such. In fact, in the book of Hebrews, it talks about those who were persecuted for the faith, those who starved to death, so be encouraged, Kevin.

The promises of God are often misunderstood and misapplied by prosperity teachers. They forget the context and conditions that are wrapped up with these promises, and they forget that our authority is not absolute—it’s relative. It is always a good idea to check what the Bible teaches, and the context in which the promise was made.

We can’t bind Satan and forbid him to work in a given city, as some people teach. And we can’t insist that we become rich. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pray about finances or our health. But we can’t have whatever we want simply because we speak the words.

A whole discussion of prosperity “gospel” is beyond the scope of this answer, but know that my heart goes out to you, Kevin. Learn what you can from these teachers, but be sure that you can separate the true from the false.

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